Blueprint for a sustainable built environment

Davy Horizons hosted a webinar for the built environment sector on 26th January 2022. Our expert panel included Chris Harrop OBE, Group Sustainability Director for Marshalls PLC, Anna Olink Director at GRESB and Sinéad Hickey, Head of Sustainability (Ireland and Europe) for John Sisk & Son. The 45-minute webinar covered an array of topics such as climate adaptation and mitigation, supply chain transparency, natural capital and wellness. Our key takeaways and full recording from the event are below.  

4 key takeaways

Climate adaptation and mitigation

Building and construction are responsible for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world, with 28% of emissions coming from operational emissions from energy needed to heat, cool and light buildings. The built environment industry has a crucial role to play in climate adaptation. This will bring significant opportunities for building product manufacturers and infrastructure provision companies to help the world adapt to an environment where temperature rise is limited to 1.5°C.

Supply chain and collaboration

At first companies need to understand where supply chain security risk lies. Secondly, companies must address the risk, not just from a product or service provision perspective but from the lens of human and labour rights. Collaborative engagement, training, and development is key. Having the right supply chain partners who share the same values and principles will ensure behaviours and standards are robust.

Natural capital

Traditionally the value of natural capital has not been fully costed within the built environment. However, with increased societal scrutiny factors like biodiversity need to be incorporated from pre-planning to completion and placemaking. Valuing natural capital allows companies to assess risks and opportunities and estimate total value and/or net impact of decisions,

Wellness

2021 was the year of the “Great Resignation” a year when workers quit their jobs at historic rates. The built environment like other sectors has been challenged to create better, more innovative environments for their employees. Wellness and mental health are key and an increased onus is being placed on organisations to support their employees.

Meet the speakers

 

Chris Harrop OBE, Group Sustainability Director, Marshalls plc.

Chris has ensured that Marshalls not only leads its sector but is also a world-class sustainable business, being recently recognised as a European Climate Leader by the FT and maintaining its MSCI AAA rating for the 5th consecutive year. In the 2019 New Year Honours List, Her Majesty the Queen appointed Chris as an Officer of the British Empire, OBE for services to the Prevention of Modern Slavery and Exploitation. 

 

Anna Olink, Director, GRESB

GRESB is the global standard for portfolio-level ESG to track environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of commercial real estate and infrastructure. Anna has a successful track record in the management of multi-billion euro real estate portfolios for leading asset management companies such as Kempen Capital Management and BNP Paribas.

 

Sinéad Hickey, Head of Sustainability (Ireland and Europe), John Sisk & Son

Sisk is an innovative, pan European engineering and construction company serving global companies and organisations. Sisk have set ambitious targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).  Sinéad has also worked in sustainability strategy development and operationalisation at Abbot and Société Générale. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS).

Learn more at Davy Horizons